Back For Good
by Nittles
Summary: Sequel to "Time To Grow"... What happens when Ruth returns home after George's funeral?
1. Chapter One

**Spooks is owned by BBC/Kudos  
Just to add that this is a follow up to "Time To Grow" incase you haven't already read it!**

Waiting for the aircraft to come to a complete stop on the runway, Ruth looked contentedly out her window at the drizzle and grey sky that was there to greet her upon her return. _Typical English weather_, she mused as she gathered up the last of her belongings and rammed them in the bed ready to disembark. She was thankful she'd had enough courage to call Harry and ask him to meet her at the airport. _'Come by train,'_ she had said, _'I don't want to leave my car in the airport forever; heaven knows how much they'll fine me!'_

The funeral had been a private affair, only George's closest friend and relatives had attended. She felt honoured to be there, but accepted the invitation as a form of closure. A departure from her temporary life, and a welcome back into her old one again. The hardest thing was saying goodbye to Nico. He had provided her with something she never thought she could have had, and knows for certain she will never have it again.

Watching the other passengers begin to make way down the aisle towards the exit doors, she followed suit, anxiously anticipating her reunion with Harry. Making her way to towards the luggage collection belt, she thought about what would happen when she stepped through the departure doors. Would Harry stride purposefully towards her and embrace her tightly or would he stand calmly, composed and professional? She hoped secretly for the first one, if the last few weeks were anything to go by, there was no way either of them could deny their feelings anymore.

The time crept by incredibly slowly as she waited impatiently for her luggage to appear before her. Noticing her bright red case appear, she yanked it off the belt triumphantly and hurried away towards where he would be waiting.

He had arrived much earlier than he needed to. He didn't know whether it was intentional or not, but the thought of not seeing her when she came through those doors really made him uneasy. It was forty minutes until her flight was due to land, so he busied himself by wandering through the few shops they provided at his end of the airport.

It wasn't until he found himself in the middle of a flower shop that the thought of buying Ruth a welcome home present crossed his mind. She'd had a tough week, and a little thoughtfulness might cheer her up. He stood in the middle of the shop, arguing with himself whether it would be tacky to buy her flowers, but noticing the announcement screen outside confirming her arrival, he quickly found her favourite flowers, paid and rushed to the waiting area.

He couldn't remember a time when he had been so nervous. He had stared death in the face several times over the year but nothing was as petrifying as this. He took her asking to meet him as a positive sign, and tried his best to calm himself down before he saw her.

As she entered the waiting area she saw him instantly. He was too engrossed in sorting out his tie to pay attention to the arriving passengers. _He must have come straight from work to meet me_, she sighed happily, temporarily standing still to see if he would look up and spot her. He did.

After arranging his tie in the neatest manner possible, he looked up to find her staring at him, a shy smile flickering across her features. Lost in her eyes, he found himself hesitantly shuffling towards her. She mirrored his movements and they met half way, looking at each other contentedly, but both afraid to make the next move.

"Welcome home," he smiled, nervously handing her the flowers he had bought.

"They're beautiful," she mumbled, as she let go of her suitcase and smelt the flowers. "Thank you."

She closed the final few steps between them and hugged him tightly. Truth be told she had wanted so badly to kiss him, but she didn't want to rush into it too soon, especially as she wasn't sure if he would still want to be with her.

Returning her embrace, Harry no longer felt nervous about seeing her. If he had any doubts that she would turn cold on him, they'd completely vanished. Relishing in the smell of her perfume, he lowered his head to her neck, kissed it gently and mumbled against her skin.

"I've missed you so much,"

She pulled out of his embrace slowly, convincing herself to believe what had just happened. _He had_ just kissed her neck and _he had_ just told her he missed her.

"I missed you too," she whispered, finally doing what she had originally intended and kissed him softly on the lips.

"Now be a gentleman and take my suitcase for me while I direct you to my car," she smiled, playfully ushering her suitcase to rest before his feet.

Harry laughed and pulled her back to him again.

"Only if I get another kiss,"

Laughing, she obliged to his request.

"Now," she said, as they finally pulled apart. "Let's go home."

**Please review! More to come soon!**


	2. Chapter Two

Despite Ruth's insistence she was ok, Harry had announced he was driving the car on the way back from the airport. Mumbling her thanks, she had fallen into a light slumber and woke to Harry singing out of tune along to the radio.

_Though I've tried before to tell her  
Of the feelings I have for her in my heart  
Every time that I come near her  
I just lose my nerve  
As I've done from the start_

_Every little thing she does is magic  
Everything she does just turns me on  
Even though my life before was tragic  
Now I know my love for her goes on_

_Do I have to tell the story  
Of a thousand rainy days since we first met  
It's a big enough umbrella  
But it's always me that ends up getting wet_

Her eyes remained closed as her ears became familiar with the sounds in the car. It wasn't every day you heard Harry Pearce singing a song about love whilst sitting in a traffic jam. She allowed herself to selfishly enjoy the moment and stash it away as a memory for future reference.

_I resolved to call her up a thousand times a day  
And ask her if she'll marry me in some old fashioned way  
But my silent fears have gripped me  
Long before I reach the phone  
Long before my tongue has tripped me  
Must I always be alone_

As the song came to an end, Harry turned to Ruth's sleeping form and let out a sigh. He couldn't remember a time where she looked so at peace, away from the heartache and the hurt. He couldn't remember a time where he had felt so happy, so content with the way his life had panned out. He was sure he had lost her on the docks, and even more sure he had lost her when she returned following the death of her husband. Unable to resist, he leant over and brushed away the hair covering her forehead, and softly planted a kiss. Pulling away slowly, he drummed the steering wheel and waited for the traffic to start moving again.

"You know it's not nice for you to take advantage of a woman when she's sleeping," Ruth mumbled playfully, sitting up, trying to stretch her arms and legs as much as could within her confined space.

Harry turned back towards her smiling. She smiled back and rested her hand on top of his, which was sprawled absent mindedly on the gear knob.

"I'm sorry," he purred, gently entwining their fingers. "Can I take advantage now?"

* * *

After finally worming their way through heavy traffic they finally found themselves pulling up outside Harry's house.

Having switched off the engine and undone his seatbelt Harry once more turned to face Ruth, who was staring out her window taking in her new and unfamiliar surroundings.

"Are you ready then Ruth?"

"As I'll ever be,"

Ruth mimicked Harry's actions and got out of the car. She watched Harry busy himself in removing the suitcase and dragging it up the path to the front door. _I could get used to this_ she mused happily, and followed him into the threshold of his house.

She sat herself down on the sofa in the living room and listened with mild amusement as Harry dumped the suitcase into the spare bedroom and came thumping down the stairs again. Locating his visitor, he sat himself down next to her and cleared his throat a little too loudly, causing her to jump slightly.

"I've put the kettle on," Harry mumbled, "I assume you want a cup of tea?"

"You assume a lot Harry," Ruth laughed, pausing slightly as a slight flicker of disappointment flashed across his face. "Tea would be lovely."

He smiled at her and went to sort out the tea in the kitchen. He heard a faint patter of feet behind him as Ruth entered to join him.

"Harry?"

"Mmm,"

"All my clothes are at the safe house,"

Harry turned around to face her, walking slowly towards her and snaking his arms around her waist.

"No worries, I've got people on it. The whole safe house is being cleared and all of its contents is coming here. You're moving in here... With me, if that's umm, ok?"

"I told you on the phone before I came home after the funeral that I knew where my life was. My life is here, in the UK, in MI5. But more importantly it's right here, in this house, with you, my cats and Scarlett. I'm just surprised you acted so quickly, I could have changed my mind."

"You did just say I assume a lot Ruth," he purred as he leant in to whisper directly into her ear. "And I'm a man of my word."

"So you still want to move in?" Harry asked eventually after Ruth had stood gazing at him in silence for quite some time.

"Only if you want me to,"

"You know I do," he purred.

"Then I'll stay," she smiled at him as he gripped her waist tighter and pulled her towards him, locking her in a rather brief but passionate kiss.

"Tea," Harry laughed, as he finally pulled away and busied himself again in making the beverage. Ushering Ruth and two boiling mugs of tea back into the living, they resumed their positions on the sofa as Ruth engrossed herself with the latest TV magazine.

"You know Ruth," Harry mused as he watched her flick through the pages of the magazine, "I always wondered what it would be like to live a domestic life with you."

He watched her as she picked up the remote and found the programme she wanted before she turned to face him, entwining her fingers with his yet again.

"Me too," she sighed happily, "but we have the rest of our lives to wonder and find out what domestic life hold for us."

"I'm staying Harry. This time I'm back for good."

End

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